The shocking truth about airline food

YOU may want to reach for your sick bag right about now, what really happens to your airline meal has been revealed.

NewsComAuNovember 21, 20124:36pm

BE WARNED: you may want to reach for your sick bag right about now.

Your airline meal may have been prepared among mice, ants and cockroaches.

That's according to US TV news program 20/20. The show has uncovered the dirt on airline food via a freedom of information act, revealing exactly what the US Food and Drug Administration found when it inspected airlines and their caterers.

More than 1500 health violations were discovered over almost four years, with "significant" problems found at a much higher rather than in other industries.

Food facilities at LSG Sky Chefs, a major provider of airline food, were found to be infested with ants, dead and live flies, and cockroaches "all over".

Roaches and gnats "too numerous to count", unrefrigerated food and dirty areas were found at another catering company, Gate Gourmet. The company said it fixes any problems immediately and claims "none of the FDA's observations... indicated a threat to the health of the travelling public".

Meanwhile, mice were found on a Delta Airlines planes, which the airline said was an isolated incident.

There were also incidents involving old or mouldy products and employees not washing their hands.